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Up and Comers
Aiming High
14 young Floridians who are already experienced businesspeople.
Justin Miller, 26
Coral Springs
› Owner and president of JB Mortgage and Financial Services, a mortgage brokerage firm based in Coral Springs. Miller started the business out of his home in 2005. By the end of 2006, the company had more than $1 million in revenue. He is the vice president for the Plantation chapter of business networking group BNI. He is a member of the Plantation Chamber of Commerce and The Professionals Group with The Ann Storck Center, which helps children with disabilities.
Marcello Valenzano, 29
Andre Lyon, 28 (right)
aka “Cool & Dre”
Miami
› Job: Grammy-nominated music producers and co-owners of 510 Ocean Restaurant, an Italian bistro on South Beach. Their Epidemic Music, started in 2003, furnishes music to major recording artists. The two have been working together since high school. They have worked with heavyweights 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fat Joe, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. They’ve signed their first artist, Joe Hound, to their record label and are releasing his CD in September.
› Grew up in: Both raised in Miami, but Valenzano was born in Venezuela and Lyon in New York
› Education: Graduated from North Miami Senior High School
› Turning point: They were selling self-produced CDs from their car trunk when a friend told them rapper Fat Joe was interested in new material. Valenzano and Lyon gave him a 60-track CD. Fat Joe picked up one for his 2001 platinum-selling album J.O.S.E.
› Career highlights: Lyon: “I think everyday people just really respect our music and who Cool and I are, and the love we get from people is dope. Like going in the studio and working with Mary J. Blige ... having Mariah call you up. Those are really cool things. We had an idea and turned it into our day job.”
› Hit list: “Hate It or Love It” by The Game, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts last year and garnered the duo’s first Grammy nomination for best rap song. Other popular singles include “New York” by JaRule and “Say I” by Christina Milian.
› On Success: “We’re real humble dudes. Having a couple hits has been really great. Just the fact that we made something out of nothing. It’s kind of humbled us to the point where we don’t celebrate anymore. We keep it moving and give thanks.” — Andre Lyon
